Crocheted Thomas the Train Inspired Hat with Ear Flaps – FREE PATTERN

My daughter recently saw a hat like this for sale on Etsy for $36+. She didn’t want to pay so much for it but wanted one for her 2 year old son who is really into Thomas the Tank Engine right now. She asked me if I could crochet one for him.

Of course I agreed and started searching for a pattern. There are several versions out there, but the pattern for this particular style was also for sale on Etsy for $5. I didn’t want to pay for a pattern, I rarely do, so I went in search for free patterns.

This version is very close to the one my daughter saw on Etsy. I used a basic free hat pattern with earflaps I found on Ravelry. The pattern is designed and shared by Christins from My Sweet Potato 3. The pattern has instructions for all sizes, from Newborn to Adults.

I used the Child size pattern and made a couple of color changes to meet the colors needed for this hat.

Once the hat was done I crocheted appliques for the face, eyes, wheels, lights, bumper, and smoke stack which were stitched onto the front of the hat. The eyebrows, nose, and mouth are embroidered onto the face using a whip stitch. To give the face and smoke stack dimension they are lightly filled with Polyfil filling. To finish it off I braided yarn for the ties which I tied off with big knots at the end.

This hat is really cute and very easy to make. It’s easy enough for beginners and old timers can whip it up in a few hours. Here is my pattern for this hat. *The changes I made are for the child size, but you can make any size you want, just make the color changes on the bottom part of the hat. The changes for any size will be: the last 3 rounds of the hat and the earflaps will be red yarn; the 2 rows above them will be white yarn.

To Download a FREE pdf version of this pattern click here!

Materials for the hat:

Basic Hat with Earflap pattern by Christins from My Sweet Potato – download this from Ravelry. To download pattern click here.

Hook size K – 6.50 mm

Worsted #4 yarn in these colors: Blue, White, Red, Black (for the ties)

Instructions & Color changes:

With Blue yarn follow directions on the pattern until Round 11 – you should have 49 stitches.

Round 12 & 13 – change to white and continue the pattern – 49 stitches

Round 14 – 16 & Earflaps – change to red, continue the pattern 49 stitches for Rounds 14 – 16 then begin Earflap.

• If you are making the other sizes you must make the color changes as I mentioned above.

When you’ve finished the second earflap set the hat aside.

Materials for Train appliques:

Hook Size F – 3.75 mm

Worsted #4 yarn in these colors: Gray, Black, Yellow, White

Tapestry Needle

Polyfil filling

Instructions:

Face: Gray Yarn

Ch 2

Rd. 1: 5sc in 2nd. chain from hook, DO NOT JOIN. The chain stitch will count as an sc (6SC)

Rd. 2: 2sc in each sc around (12SC)

Rd. 3: sc in 1st. sc, 2sc in next sc, *sc in next sc, 2sc in next sc, repeat from * around (18SC)

Rd. 4: sc in first 2 sc, 2sc in next sc, *sc in each of next 2 sc, 2sc in next sc, repeat from *around (24)

Rd. 5: sc in first 3 sc, 2sc in next sc, *sc in each of next 3 sc, 2sc in next sc, repeat from *around (30)

Rd. 6: sc in first 4 sc, 2sc in next sc, *sc in each of next 4 sc, 2sc in next sc, repeat from *around (36)

Rd. 7: sc in first 5 sc, 2sc in next sc, *sc in each of next 5 sc, 2sc in next sc, repeat from *around (42)

Rd. 8: sc in BACK LOOPS ONLY in each sc around, sl st in first sc of this round (42)

Rd. 9: sl st in each sc around. Fasten off. Leave a 12? tail of yarn for stitching on to hat.

Eye Pupils & Headlight interior – make 4 in Black

Ch 2

Rd. 1: 5sc in 2nd. chain from hook. Sl st into ch and fasten off. Leave 6? tail of yarn for stitching.

Eye Cornea, Headlight background, bumpers – make 2 white, 2 yellow, 2 black

Ch 2

Rd. 1: 5sc in 2nd. chain from hook. Sl st into ch. (6sc) The chain stitch will count as 1 sc.

Rd. 2: Ch 1, sc in same ch st, 2sc in each sc around (12sc) fasten off. Leave 6? tail of yarn for stitching.

Smoke Stack: Black – for this piece ch1 DOES NOT count as an sc.

Start a magic ring. Ch 1.

Rd. 1: 7sc in ring. Pull ring til stitches form a small circle. Join (7sc)

Rd. 2: Ch 1, 2sc in each sc around, join (14sc)

Rd. 3: Ch 1, sc in BACK LOOPS ONLY in each sc around, join (14sc)

Rd. 4: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, join (14sc)

Rd. 5: Ch 1, sc2tog (decrease), sc in next 5 sc, sc2tog, sc in next 5 sc, join (12sc)

Rd. 6: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog, sc in next 4 sc, join (10sc)

Rd. 7: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc, join (8sc)

Rd. 8 – 12: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, join. (8sc)

Fasten off after rd. 12. Leave 6? tail of yarn for stitching.

Assembly: Use the photos as a placement guide.

1. Stitch each black pupil on to each white corneas. Attach eyes to the front of the face.
2. Embroider eyebrows, nose, and mouth outline on the face using black yarn. Fill mouth in with white yarn. Refer to photo for placement.
3. Stitch face onto center front of the hat. Stitch 3 quarters around, lightly fill with polyfil, stitch the opening closed.
4. Lightly fill smoke stack with polyfil. Attach to the top of the face and tack to the hat.
5. Stitch black headlight interiors to each yellow headlight background. Attach to the hat on either side of the smoke stack. Refer to photo for placement.
6. Attach black bumpers on to the hat. Refer to photo for placement.
7. If you want the smoke stack to spew smoke slip stitch white yarn to the top. Chain 10 sl st to top to attach to stack, repeat this until you have the amount of "smoke" you want. Fasten off and weave in end to the back of the smoke stack.

Ties:

1. Cut 24 lengths of black yarn – each piece should be 3 ft. long.
2. Take 12 lengths of yarn, make sure they are all even and slip one end into the bottom of one earflap.
3. Pull yarn thru half way – you should now have 2 equal lengths of yarn.
4. Divide yarn into 3 equal parts – 8 strands each.
5. Braid yarn to about 3? from the end.
6. Knot loose ends tightly (loop it up to the braided section, pull loose ends thru, slip the know down and pull tightly).
7. Trim fringe evenly.
8. Repeat with remaining 12 strands of yarn on the other earflap.

Hat with "Smoke" spewing from the smoke stack.

Hat with out "smoke".

I wasn’t sure which blue matched best so I made several versions. This one is in light blue.

This is one is called Turqua – bluish aqua. My daughter likes this one best.

Don’t want to make your own hat? Buy it from my Etsy shop! Savvy Nana Crafts Custom orders are welcome!

Hi! I’m Carmina, also known as Nana. I love DIY projects, parties, crocheting, and traveling. I hope that you enjoy my posts and find them useful! If you have any ideas or suggestions I’d love to hear from you!